Tonight on TV: An extraordinary war film from one of Quentin Tarantino’s masters

Hitting theaters in 1978, The Iron Cross is the quintessential war film. The great Sam Peckinpah’s (Wild Horde, Straw Dogs) only foray into the genre, it transports viewers to the Russian front, 1943. The Iron Cross, even at the sacrifice of his own men, and the Corporal, a cynical and skilled adventurer who protects his men and their humanity.

Perhaps one of the best war films ever made, this iron cross of paroxysmal violence that impresses with its realism was very difficult for Sam Peckinpah, one of Quentin Tarantino’s masters.

Insufficient funding, a script that was reworked several times, communication problems with the cosmopolitan team… nothing was easy for this adaptation of the work. male skin By writer Willie Heinrich, especially since according to actor Vadim Glouna, Sam Peckinpah drank four bottles of vodka every day during filming and slept less than four hours…

However, the result is impressive. Iron Cross, one of Orson Welles’ favorite war films, is relentlessly forceful, violently anti-militaristic, devoid of any grandeur or heroism. Not to mention, it was rare at the time for this major work to take the point of view of a German soldier.

One of the great features of Iron Cross is ultimately the impressive face-to-face between actors James Coburn and Maximilian Scheele. For their performances alone, this war movie classic is worth an evening…

from the age of 12

Tonight on Arte at 20:50.